If you take away one thing from this blog, and from tabletop roleplaying games as a whole, it should be this:

There is no single right way to play.

Everyone has preferences. What works for one group might not work for another, and that’s the real beauty of TTRPGs. The possibilities are nearly endless, and some of them may surprise you.

What is a TTRPG?

What do I mean by “play” or “TTRPG”? If you are new to TTRPGs, welcome! Let me give a quick rundown. If you’re already a veteran, bear with me; we’ll get back to the discussion shortly.

TTRPG stands for Tabletop Role Playing Game. This is a storytelling or roleplaying experience, what I like to call “collaborative fiction”, where players take on fictional roles and help shape a narrative together. This typically involves dice, character sheets, and a lot of creativity. Many people tend to think that this means Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), which has firmly entered the zeitgeist and has been featured in movies and TV shows you may know. Maybe you’ve heard a Let’s Play podcast or seen a stream. All of those are valid and popular TTRPG experiences.

More Than Just Dungeons and Dragons

However, there are more things to see in the TTRPG space. Every part of D&D can be dissected, taken apart to its bare components and forged into something different and new. There are more games out there than D&D. There are tabletop games based on hard sci-fi, with interstellar ships and alien races. There are games based in the modern world, maybe with an infusion of magic, maybe with an infusion of horror. Want to play a Western where you shoot vampires with your six-gun? A space opera where you gun down star cruisers in the black between stars? A story about kids on bikes and friendship overcoming evil in that 80’s movie style you grew up watching? You can do that, and so much more than that.

Terms You Need to Know

Here are some terms you need to know going forward, and I’ll define more in future posts:

• TTRPG = tabletop roleplaying game. Loosely defined as a game that you can play by yourself or with others where you take on a role of some kind. This cannot be a video game, although there are many video games based on TTRPGs.
• GM = Game Master, or in D&D you might see DM – Dungeon Master. This is the person who leads a game (not every system has them).
• Player = anyone playing the game in any capacity besides GM. Most people who engage with TTRPGs are players.
• System = a specific set of rules and settings for a TTRPG. Sometimes “the two terms “system” and “game” are used interchangeably, but a game might be what you play and the system might refer to the rules with which you play it.

This Blog Is For Everyone

So what is this blog, exactly? It’s a space to explore the full range of TTRPGs, from one-page indie games to sprawling published systems, from GM tips to downloadable adventures. I’ll share projected updates, resources, and practical advice to help you run better games, regardless of what system you use.

I also create my own downloadables, including adventures and GM tips, that you might see from time to time. These will often be system-agnostic, meaning they can be played with nearly any system you want. I find that the more resources you have when running a game, the better prepared you’ll be.

Whether you’re a curious newcomer or a lifelong GM, I hope you’ll find something here to spark your imagination.